Pieniny Klippen Belt - Development

Development

Reconstruction of the older phases of development is not possible because of absence of pre-triassic rocks. The development of Pieniny Klippen Belt started on passive margin of European platform in Lower Jurassic with rifting and tectonic subsidence of Oravic unit. During the Middle Jurassic to Lowermost Cretaceous an elevated continental ribbon called the Czorsztyn Ridge evolved due to the thermal uplift and continental break-up at the southern side of the Czorsztyn Ridge. Rifting resulted in the opening of basinal area called the Kysuca basin or Vahic Ocean (South Penninic or Piemont ocean equivalent) to the south of the Oravic area. In the Upper Jurassic entire Oravic domain began to thermally subside. Since Lowermost Cretaceous time probably an asymmetrical rifting affected the area to the North of the Czorsztyn Ridge where a Magura basin (North Penninic or Valais Ocean equivalent) started to evolve.

During the Middle Cretaceous thermal subsidence of the Czorsztyn Ridge caused it development into a pelagic high. In Turonian times frontal elements of the Fatric Nappe System of the Inner Western Carpathians were emplaced onto the southern parts of the Vahic Ocean. In the Upper Cretaceous to Paleocene the Vahic Ocean began to close. The Oravic units were detached from its subducting basement and formed a fold and thrust belt. After first phase of folding and thrusting sedimentation of turbiditic sequences was restored. Whole area was again deformed in second phase of orogeny in the Upper Paleogene to Lower Miocene when sinistral transpression and amalgamation with hinterland part of closed Magura Ocean caused formation of typical "klippen" tectonic style due to counterclockwise rotation of ALCAPA microplate. During this times several subduction related calc-alcaline volcanoes locally evolved in the area. Later sinistral transtension and lateral extension modified the structure of the belt during the Late Miocene and Pliocene. Extensional deformation on the eastern and western edge of the belt interacted with development of the Vienna and Transcarpathian basin. After the marine regression at the end of Miocene younger marls and turbidites were eroded faster than more competent Jurassic limestones forming distinctly looking klippes.